To Take or Not To Take A Chance
by sweet-baby-lemon
Summary: Sara faints in Grissom's view. What's wrong with her, and what will our Griss do to make everything all right?
1. CHapter 1

Sara's head rang with excitement as her long legs carried her down the never-ending hallway. She was headed towards the break room where everyone sat waiting for her. About an hour ago, Sara summoned the whole Graveyard shift to meet here there. She sauntered in and plopped down in a chair next to Catherine, who was twiddling her thumbs on the large table. Grissom sat across her, peering over his glasses, supposedly deep in thought. Warrick and Nick sat at each end of the table and were flicking paper balls at each other by sliding them surreptitiously down the middle.   
  
"Hh hmph." Sara intertwined her legs and her arms across the chest. Catherine, it seemed like was the only one who had noticed her presence. Catherine send her wink and Sara replied it with a rolling of her eyes, as the same thing went through each of the women's heads. 'Guys. So clueless, so oblivious.' More about some things than others.   
  
As Warrick sent another crumpled piece of paper at Nick, Sara skillfully caught it halfway across the table with a mere flick of her hand. She wadded it up even tighter and in turn sent it ricocheting off of Grissom's glasses. She sat back, nonchalantly as his gaze immediately focused on her.   
  
"Hello Gris," He nodded towards her, still not free of his daydream, which clung in waspy clouds around his mind. He shifted his gaze towards Nick and his countenance changed from an innocent hello to an annoyed expression.   
  
"Nick..." Nick gulped nervously but then got ready to defend himself.   
  
"Yes?" grissom knew it was useless to accuse the Texan of hitting him with the paper, he would deny it for all he was worth. He let out a sigh and turned his attention to Sara.   
  
"So, Sara, what was so important that you had to summon the whole graveyard shift here?" Sara smirked. Everyone's eyes were upon her waiting for an explanation.  
  
The team had received a case three days ago. A child was abducted from his bedroom and gotten away from his house. He was immediately presumed dead as all of the signs pointed to a reappearing criminal. There was the cross on the bed, the slash on the wall and the heavy footsteps. All of these were part of his regular schemes. These were all his signatures. The police had hunted the 'Bedroom Vermin' as he was called, for years. Fortunately, there were only four victims over the course of his vicious life style, but everyone was still stumped. In this particular case, the bedroom was slashed and the front door was dislocated. Someone had broken into the house through the front door, and abducted the child. Or so everyone thought. The whole graveyard shift was clueless, literally, no one knew where to turn to.  
  
"Sar? You still with us?" Warrick pushed his body upon the table and extended his arm to wave in front of Sara's face.   
  
"Huh?" Sara was startled out of her reverie. "Oh, sorry Warrick. Ok, so, umm, the reason that I called you all from your very important tasks, I presume, is that I have found a crucial piece of evidence, and the case has been solved." Office sounds filtered into the room: people rushing around, suspects yelling curses, computers beeping everywhere. But the break room was dead silent.   
  
"What? Sara, what did you say?" Catherine turned to her friend, "Another piece of evidence? But all of us canvassed the whole house, every single one of us, everything that was to be found was...found." She was dumbstruck. Grissom, on the other hand, didn't wait for an answer.   
  
"Sara stop toying with us, damn it!" The silence grew to a deafening roar. "We have been working this case like dogs for the past couple of days, it's not very business like of you to pull a tarp over our heads and tell us to run. You," Sara's face faltered, her blinding smile gone, replaced by the familiar frown.   
  
"Yo, Griss," Nick stepped in to defend his best friend, "that wasn't very business like of you either. You didn't even..." Nick stood up now, pointing an accusing finger in Grissom's direction. The team, everyone except Grissom that is, had finally gotten through to Sara. She was facing in the right direction now. Her mood almost always good, and her usual self, almost back. And now, here came Grissom, tearing all of that away word by unbearable word. Catherine put a warm hand on Sara's back, and quietly whispered into her ear.   
  
"Sara, honey, please, don't. Calm down a bit." She had seen Sara's eyes mist over, saw how the brunette mentally kicked herself for almost letting her emotions seep through. Sara turned to her, eyes full of misery and that old emptiness. That cold, black emptiness that the team had fought so hard to remove. She blinked once and the mist was gone, replaced in turn by fire. 'Good,' Catherine quietly thought to herself, 'fight this one girl, don't let him get to you.'   
  
Sara abruptly stood up, causing Catherine's hand to fall back into its owner's lap.   
  
"It's all right Nick," She pushed back her chair and walked into Nicky's direction. Standing by him, she placed a hand on his shoulder, "I found a piece of evidence." She coldly stated, "It was a fingerprint. The suspect, the 'Bedroom Vermin' is now in Brass's custody." The grip on Nick's shoulder tightened while Sara closed in and whispered into Nick's ear. "Thank you Nicky, I'll fight this one out on my own." And with that she walked towards the door.   
  
"Nick, sit down, the meeting hasn't ended." Nick with a glare on his face openly directed at Grissom, obediently sat down in his chair. "Ms. Sidle," Sara stopped mid-stride, close to Warrick now. It was his turn to see the fleeing look in her brown eyes, that excruciatingly painful stare. And also, his turn to see her transform as she whirled around to face the boss.  
  
"Yes Gil?" Grissom was taken back a bit by her expression, by her stance, by the idea of an enraged woman that she was emitting. He couldn't back down, though, it was his job to see that his workers obeyed.   
  
"Sara, as I just stated, the meeting is not over." Everyone saw the change in Sara's posture. Her body seemed to reflect that of a pouncing panther, ready to take out whatever was in its path.   
  
"Oh, no?" She icily challenged.   
  
"No, it hasn't. Now, if you were to be so kind as to sit back down and tell us about your find." Sara went behind Warrick's chair, that much closer to the door, to her escape. Sara immediately started addressing her friends with hopes of tailing it out of the room before she broke down.   
  
"Guys," she shifted her gaze from Catherine, to Nick, to the top of Warrick's head. "Thank's for coming," she sighed quickly, "thanks for listening." To Grissom, the second meaning was lost, to everyone else it was a blow to the heart. The old Sara was gone. She then turned and stalked out of the room. 


	2. Chapter 2

Infuriated, Grissom stood up, and was immediately followed by Catherine.   
  
"Now would not be the best time, Grissom." He cast his eyes at Catherine, the oldest friend.  
  
"Catherine, you do not just disobey direct orders. Aren't I the boss around here? If you didn't have to listen to me, I wouldn't be of much use now would I?"   
  
"Oh, now they're orders are they? Grissom, and you don't just talk to your employees like..like they're dirt."   
  
"Do not get in my way Catherine, not now." His voice dropped an octave, intensifying the meaning of his words.   
  
"Or what Gris?" Grissom let out an exasperating sigh and left through the door where Sara was standing just a minute ago.   
  
"Hey, Grissom, the meeting ain't over yet!" he heard Warrick call out to him. 'Great,' he thought as he tried to catch up to Sara's diminishing figure, 'now everyone's against me.'   
  
He finally caught up to Sara as she was getting into her car.   
  
"Sara! Sara, wait!" Sara heard the familiar voice, that golden voice which she dreamed would be saying 'I love you' to her, burst into Sara's thoughts. She realized that it was real, and that Grissom was about 50 feet away, trying to catch up with her. She yanked open the door and stuck the keys into the ignition. Finally, she just sat down in the passenger seat, legs hanging out the open door. As a song began to play from a pre-picked radio station, Grissom finally caught up. He stood in front of the open door, and saw Sara sitting there, slowly mouthing the words to the song.   
  
I know you think that I shouldn't still love you  
  
Or tell you that   
  
But if I didn't say it  
  
Well, I'd still have felt it   
  
Where's the sense in that?   
  
I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder   
  
Or return to where we were   
  
But I will go down with this ship  
  
And I won't put my hands up and surrender   
  
There will be no white flag above my door   
  
I'm in love and always will be   
  
I know I left too much mess   
  
And destruction to come back again   
  
And I caused but nothing but trouble   
  
I understand if you can't talk to me again   
  
And if you live by the rules of It's over   
  
Then I'm sure that that makes sense   
  
But I will go down with this ship   
  
And I won't put my hands up and surrender   
  
There will be no white flag above my door   
  
I'm in love and always will be   
  
And when we meet   
  
Which I'm sure we will   
  
All I was then   
  
Will be there still   
  
I'll let it pass   
  
And hold my tongue   
  
And you will think   
  
That I've moved on  
  
I will go down with this ship  
  
And I won't put my hands up and surrender   
  
There will be no white flag above my door   
  
I'm in love and always will be  
  
I will go down with this ship  
  
And I won't put my hands up and surrender   
  
There will be no white flag above my door   
  
I'm in love and always will be  
  
I will go down with this ship  
  
And I won't put my hands up and surrender   
  
There will be no white flag above my door   
  
I'm in love and always will be  
  
"That's a pretty good song," Grissom feebly tried to make contact with the detached Sara.   
  
"Sure, whatever. What do you want?" Sara wasn't in the mood, for anything, especially from Grissom.   
  
" I, uh, I..." Grissom felt his little guard begin opening the gate for this woman. Sara turned her head, lips puckered into the word 'door' and lifted an eyebrow at him. "I, um, I wanted to know why you ran out like that." He finished stumbling over each word as if they were stones, all evilly put in his path.   
  
"Why I ran out? Oh, is that all?!" She fixated her eyes onto his, whispering in her own head 'I will not fall for his eyes, I will not fall, I will not, I will NOT fall for his eyes, oh they're so dreamy.'   
  
"Yes, I want to know why..." For the first time in a long while, he looked into her eyes. Actually looked deep into her eyes, and peeked cautiously into her soul. "I want to know what I did, to make you run out like that." Sara scoffed, not believing that Grissom was actually saying this.   
  
"You, you didn't even..." She stopped abruptly, dropping her gaze and tried to concentrate on the new song that had started playing.   
  
When I was young  
  
I never needed anyone  
  
And making love was just for fun  
  
Those days are gone  
  
Livin' alone  
  
I think of all the friends I've known  
  
When I dial the telephone  
  
Nobody's home  
  
All by myself  
  
Don't wanna be  
  
All by myself  
  
Anymore  
  
Hard to be sure  
  
Sometimes I feel so insecure  
  
And loves so distant and obscure  
  
Remains the cure  
  
All by myself  
  
Don't wanna be  
  
All by myself  
  
Anymore  
  
All by myself  
  
Don't wanna live  
  
All by myself  
  
Anymore  
  
When I was young  
  
I never needed anyone  
  
Making love was just for fun  
  
Those days are gone  
  
All by myself  
  
Don't wanna be  
  
All by myself  
  
Anymore  
  
All by myself  
  
Don't wanna live  
  
Oh  
  
Don't wanna live  
  
By myself, by myself  
  
Anymore  
  
By myself  
  
Anymore  
  
Oh  
  
All by myself  
  
Don't wanna live  
  
I never, never, never  
  
Needed anyone  
  
"Yes? Sara, go on, I really want to know." Sara looked up at him, and the look she gave him made Grissom take a giant step backwards, both mentally and physically. Her brown orbs were lifeless. Grissom could actually see the hollowness, the black pit that was situated right in the middle of those eyes that used to shine so brightly.   
  
"I don't think so Grissom, I would still like to keep my job." Grissom barely heard Sara's answer, he could not take his gaze off of her eyes. She blinked once, twice, and her eyelashes fluttered mildly before her eyes dropped, and did not open again. Sara had fainted right in front of Grissom's eyes, and for a moment, his world stopped spinning.   
  
"Sara?" Grissom took a step forward, placing a gently, caring hand on her shoulder. "Sara!?!" He put one hand underneath her legs and the other around her back. Securing both he gently lifted the motionless form out of the car and onto the hood. 'Sure,' he debated, 'the scene might raise a few questions, but I have to make sure Sara's all right.' He situated her body so as to make her as comfortable as possible on the hood of a car. "Sara? Honey," He cradled her head when he received the shock of his life.   
  
"Don't call me that." She whispered and clung on tighter to his arm as she began her attempt at sliding off the hood.   
  
"Sara, what?" Grissom's head was absolutely blank. What was happening? What was wrong with her, what was wrong with 'honey'?   
  
"Don't call me that Grissom, I know that you don't mean it. Now help me down." As Sara outstretched her arm once more to attempt sliding down, Grissom brushed it away. At her confused look, he winked. He wriggled his arms under her body, wincing at the hot metal that lay beneath, and scooped her up.   
  
"Griss! No, put me down. You're going to drop me like a hot potato."Grissom laughed out loud at Sara's distraught face. He enjoyed feeling her lightness in his arms, the cute look upon her face, and then the warm smile that followed.   
  
"Hmm," he mused, smile on his face, "I don't think so Sidle. Even though you are hot, but don't worry, I won't drop you. Now if you will," He stepped towards the passenger door which Sara opened with her free hand, "Please get in." Sara looked up at him from her comfortable perch in his arms, not wanting to leave the sanctity.  
  
"Oh, fine." Sara grumbled and carefully slid onto the leather seat of the front passenger seat of the car.   
  
"That's a good girl." Grissom joked as he snaked his arm up to the seatbelt and then across her body, where he snapped it into place. "Ready?" When he saw her nod, Grissom backed out of the car and slammed the door shut. He ran around the vehicle and got into the driver's seat, where he found Sara humming to the new song which was playing on the radio.   
  
Go!!  
  
So 1,2,3, take my hand and come with me  
  
because you look so fine   
  
and i really wanna make you mine.  
  
I say you look so fine   
  
that I really wanna make you mine.  
  
Oh, 4,5,6 c'mon and get your kicks   
  
now you dont need that money   
  
when you look like that, do ya honey.  
  
Big black boots,   
  
long brown hair,   
  
she's so sweet   
  
with her get back stare.  
  
Well I could see,   
  
you home with me,   
  
but you were with another man, yea!  
  
I know we,   
  
ain't got much to say,   
  
before I let you get away, yea!  
  
I said, are you gonna be my girl?  
  
Well, so 1,2,3, take my hand and come with me  
  
because you look so fine   
  
and i really wanna make you mine.  
  
I say you look so fine   
  
that I really wanna make you mine.  
  
Oh, 4,5,6 c'mon and get your kicks   
  
now you dont need that money  
  
with a face like that, do ya.  
  
Big black boots,   
  
long brown hair,   
  
she's so sweet   
  
with her get back stare.  
  
Well I could see,   
  
you home with me,   
  
but you were with another man, yea!  
  
I know we,   
  
ain't got much to say,   
  
before I let you get away, yea!  
  
I said, are you gonna be my girl?  
  
Oh yea. Oh yea. C'mon!  
  
I could see,  
  
you home with me,   
  
but you were with another man, yea!  
  
I know we,   
  
ain't got much to say,   
  
before I let you get away, yea!  
  
Uh, be my girl.  
  
Be my girl.  
  
Are you gonna be my girl?! Yea  
  
"Hmmm, I just love this song." Sara contentedly sighed, as Grissom looked on admiringly. "Oh yeah, Griss, where are we going? Shift hasn't even ended yet." A more serious air replaced the atmosphere, while Grissom carefully fingered the steering wheel. Debating quickly in his head, Grissom finally decided to act. 


	3. Chapter 3

An act that was long, long overdue. An act of kindness and caress.   
  
"Well, as far as I'M concerned, one of my CSI's is sick," Sara slightly jumped.  
  
"Sick? Grissom, I am not sick. I, I just..." Grissom looked at her and smirked.  
  
"You just what? You fainted Sara, that's serious. Or do you do that on a regular basis?"  
  
"Well, no, but, but still. Won't we get into trouble? Remember, we have to think of the lab first." Grissom sighed, he got through the first layer of iciness of Sara's wrath. He got off the hook easily, this time. Now, he can approach with less caution because it didn't look like Sara minded his caring too much.  
  
"Well, my CSI's come first. And as for the lab, there won't even be a one without my perfect CSI team, so...I don't see a problem." Sara's face lit up with the special smile that was only intended for that special person.  
  
"Well, if it was Warrick instead of me here, I'm sure you wouldn't have carried him in your arms like that," Sara prodded Grissom. It was one of the few times where he actually showed that he was a human who cared.  
  
"Well, of course not, but" Grissom tried very hard not to blush, "you didn't object did you? Didn't you enjoy it?" Sara turned to him, staring straight into his dreamy blue eyes.  
  
"Of course I did,"Grissom turned away from the radiant Sara to start the car so they could get out of there. And then, a new song started playing.  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
I've been searching for a man  
  
All across Japan  
  
Just to find  
  
To find my samurai  
  
Someone who is strong  
  
But still a little shy  
  
Yes I need  
  
I need my samurai  
  
Ay ee ay ee ay  
  
I'm your little butterfly  
  
Green, black and blue  
  
Make the colors in the sky  
  
Ay ee ay ee ay  
  
I'm your little butterfly  
  
Green, black and blue  
  
Make the colors in the sky  
  
I've been searching in the woods  
  
And high upon the hills  
  
Just to find  
  
To find my samurai  
  
Someone who won't regret  
  
To keep me in this net  
  
Yes I need  
  
I need my samurai  
  
Ay ee ay ee ay  
  
I'm your little butterfly  
  
Green, black and blue  
  
Make the colors in the sky  
  
Ay ee ay ee ay  
  
I'm your little butterfly  
  
Green, black and blue  
  
Make the colors in the sky  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ee ay  
  
I'm your little butterfly  
  
Green, black and blue  
  
Make the colors in the sky  
  
Ay ee ay ee ay  
  
I'm your little butterfly  
  
Green, black and blue  
  
Make the colors in the sky  
  
Ay ee ay ee ay  
  
I'm your little butterfly  
  
Green, black and blue  
  
Make the colors in the sky  
  
Ay ee ay ee ay  
  
I'm your little butterfly  
  
Green, black and blue  
  
Make the colors in the sky  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ay  
  
Ay ee ay ee ay  
  
I'm your little butterfly  
  
Green, black and blue  
  
Make the colors in the sky  
  
"My perfect samurai." Sara whispered. Grissom almost got whiplash from the force that he turned his head.  
  
"What did you say Sara?" Sara's cheeks turned a very pale hue of pink.  
  
"Oh, no, nothing, just..." she quickly searched for the right words to cover up her slip, "just, singing along to the song." And she smiled sweetly at Grissom so that he forgot what his question was in the first place.   
  
During the drive, Grissom questioned Sara as to why she had fainted. But, knowing Sara, he knew prior to his questioning that he wouldn't get much of a response, and he was right. She avoided answering the question, forming loopholes here and there, but still trying to satisfy Grissom's need of knowledge. 'Oh well, I'll just have to investigate,' thought the man, 'I'm good at that.'   
  
Grissom decided to go to Sara's apartment so that he could tend to his patient there. That way, if Sara grew uncomfortable, she could always throw him out. When they arrived, Sara's seatbelt was off in a flash and she almost had the door opened before Grissom had the chance to fully park.  
  
"Hold it!" It was Sara's turn to get whiplash. Her eyes full of fear at the sound of Grissom's harsh tone.  
  
"Huh?" Was all she could muster. Grissom smiled sheepishly, before answering, he hadn't meant to sound so cruel.  
  
"No moving for the patient. Now hold on." He twisted the keys out of the ignition and went around to Sara's half opened door. He opened it all the way and squatted down near the opening. "Arms please?" Sara smiled and wrapped her arms about Grissom's neck. He hoisted her weightless body out of the car and shut the door with his leg. "Ok, princess, let's go." He went to Sara's apartment door, and let her open it with the keys. Once inside, he gently laid her down on the couch, and sat closely nearby.   
  
"Hmm, thanks Grissom."   
  
"For what?"   
  
"Well, for everything," Grissom smiled before a more concerned look fell upon his face.  
  
"Sara, what is happening to you?" He quickly hastened to explain as Sara's face showed signs of anger. "What I mean is, why did you faint? What's the matter?" Sara opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to come up with something. You just didn't tell the love of your life that you haven't been sleeping, or eating, or doing much of anything else. All because of him. What was she supposed to say? Sara just shrugged her shoulders. Grissom hastily stood up, hands crossed across his chest.  
  
"Come on now Sara. I know that something's wrong." 'Oh you do, do you?' Sara thought, but remained silent. "Ok, fine," Grissom clasped his hands behind his back, deep in thought. "I'm a scientist. I run the best lab in the whole country, I am capable of investigating this AND figuring out the source of the problem." Sara quietly sat on the sofa and prayed that Grissom would be able to figure out the source of the problem. Him. "Ok, so: The first thing is that you fainted. A couple of factors can bring that on. Lack of sleep, and food and water, and..." He gasped causing Sara to jump a little from her perch on the couch. It wasn't that hard to figure out. Sara was lighter than a feather, she probably hadn't eaten anything in a long while. "Ok, little miss. I'm going to feed you." Sara looked up into his face with eyes full of sorrow.  
  
"No, Gris, no." She said with a quavering voice. "No," repeating her plea. Grissom looked on with curiosity. 'No? What was the matter?'   
  
"Yes." he simply stated and went into the kitchen, leaving Sara quaking on the couch. He opened the refrigerator and got out a bottle of milk, which he set on the table. 'Ok,' he thought, 'A glass of milk might be good before a meal.' He scoured around the cabinets for a glass and finally found one. The glass just screamed Sara, it was so, so, like her. Or, as much as a glass can be modeled after a person. He unscrewed the top from the still unopened milk, and brought it upside down over the glass. Nothing came out. Grissom shook it a bit, and finally a glob of stuck material came oozing down into the glass.  
  
"Ewww," He softly breathed before turning the milk onto its side and reading the expiration date. No wonder. It had expired a week ago, and wasn't even opened yet.   
  
"Sara, hey Sar?" Grissom walked back into the living room where he found Sara crunched up in a ball on the couch. "Sara?" She didn't seem to have heard him. Finally, she looked up at him with blank eyes.   
  
"Hmm?" Grissom sighed inwardly.   
  
"Sara, what is this?" He held up the expired milk in the air, a little away from himself.  
  
"Umm, milk?" She sarcastically replied. He set the milk down on the coffee table and situated himself on the couch.  
  
"Sara, it's way past its expiration date." Seeing the beast back in Sara, he knew she was about to retort.   
  
"Don't argue now, Sara, I found it unopened. That say anything to you?" He stood up once more and extended his hand towards Sara. She took it reluctantly and was instantly pulled up.   
  
"Come on Sar," he cooed. "Let's go see what else is in your fridge." They opened the refrigerator and one by one, Grissom lifted out products that were uneatable. Sara took these from him and put them onto the kitchen table with a small smile on her face that was growing bigger and bigger with each product that she received. Oh, what a wonderful sight it was to see your own boss in your kitchen, giving you rank food items and little comments now and then such as,   
  
"I fancy what that was?" or, "Sara, what was this? Cottage cheese or...blood?" Finally, Grissom slammed the door on the empty refrigerator and stood by Sara as they looked on with wonder at the kitchen table. A whole array of food was there. Broccoli that had turned a nasty shade of grey, apples in which Grissom swore he saw a species of maggot. Eggs that smelled of rotten fish, to which Sara commented that she didn't even know that eggs could spoil. At that statement, Grissom laughed out loud, and suddenly Sara's growing smile erupted like a long awaited volcano and commenced in a shower of giggles which slowly began to die down.  
  
"This is quite funny Grissom" He turned to look at her face.  
  
"I'm glad you think so Sidle, but this still does not solve our eating problem now does it?" As if on cue Sara's stomach began to growl unceasingly. Grissom chuckled and put his hand tenderly on her stomach, feeling for any tense movements from Sara. Thankfully, none came.   
  
"Come on, let's get something to eat, or else, my stomach might just join yours." Sara looked up at him, mischievous eyes sparkling. "In the rumblings. Join in the rumblings," he hastened to add. Sara nodded, smiling. "So, umm, where would you like to go and eat?" Grissom furtively tried to change the subject. Sara thought for a moment, where would it take the most time to serve food?  
  
"Umm," she just couldn't decide. "Well, where would you like to eat?" 'Oh, no,' he thought, 'She's not going to pin the picking on me.'   
  
"Sara, you choose. I absolutely insist." He saw the hesitation peeking out of her eyes and continued. "I'll pay if you pick." Sara sighed, he had won.   
  
"Fine, fine, let's get some...pizza." She finally decided.  
  
"Would you like to call so they'll deliver it here," he asked, "Or do you want to eat at the restaurant?"  
  
"At the restaurant, Gris, I can't stand being here any more." The lonely nights, the silent phone, the parties that her neighbors were constantly having bombarded her thoughts, agitating her.   
  
"Sara, what do you mean? You can't stand your apartment anymore, or, or just...me?"This caught Sara's attention faster than a triple homicide all in one bathroom.  
  
"No, no, Griss! Of course I can stand you. Of course I can. It's the place, the place," she grew frantic. A bit claustrophobic, even, or so it seemed like that to Grissom. Sara looked around herself in a panic, quickly retreating into the living room where she grabbed her purse before returning to the kitchen where Grissom stood waiting.   
  
"Come on, come on! What are we waiting for, huh?" She chuckled nervously, putting up yet another front, trying to joke through the fear. Grissom saw right through it.  
  
"What's the rush Sara? Well, except for the fact that you might faint at any moment, that is." He reasoned half with himself, "What's the matter? Are you ok?" Sara, in turn, only half listened.   
  
"Come ON, Griss. What, do you like to see me tortured?" She was wringing her hands incessantly now and wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans. She looked around herself as if there was an intruder in the apartment, but it wasn't that. It was the fact that the walls were closing in around them. All around them. She forced her gaze away from the creamy colored plaster and locked onto Grissom's eyes. Her eyes pleaded with his, pleading, pleading to let them go now.   
  
"Please, Griss," she grabbed his hand urgently, eyes searching his, "Please, let's go now." Grissom finally realized that it wasn't a joke, realized the urgency. Sara saw the screws in his head turning, slowly figuring it out. "Come, I'll explain everything at the pizzeria. I promise." He softly nodded, accepting the bargain, and let Sara pull him out the door of her apartment. 


	4. Chapter 4

I just wanted to post right now, even though it is about 1:13 AM, because I might not have a computer for a couple of days as I will be getting it fixed. So, I thought that the least I could do for you guys is at least post one more chapter until I get back. And when I do, I'll be awaiting all of the reviews. wink wink Lol. Well, you don't have too, but I'll greatly appreciate it, and frankly it motivates me to write much, much faster. Ok, well, enjoy!!  
  
During the drive to the nearest pizzeria, Sara remained silent. Stealing furtive glances at Grissom from time to time, she debated wether to tell him now, about the whole ordeal, or over some food. She didn't get that much time to think about it as Grissom's soothing voice broke through her thoughts like a scorching stone through a murky pond.   
  
"Sara? Why were we in such a rush to leave?" Sara turned her head to look at him. Look at his face; his soft features, the caring eyes, and the curved lips.  
  
"What!?! Grissom what is it that you want from me??" Sara felt cornered and pressed, meaning no harm at all she lashed out at Grissom. He stiffened noticeably, but kept his eyes on the road.  
  
"It's just that, you promised." He whispered softly. Sara immediately adjusted her tone, finally realizing what she had done.  
  
"Yes, Grissom, I did. I know that, and I will. I WILL tell you, just as soon as we give our order, ok?" Waiting for a one precious moment, she finally placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," Her touch sent fiery snakes running up and down his arm. Relishing the feeling and the moment he mumbled something that was very close to being incoherent.   
  
"T'say." Sara nodded her thanks and removed her hand, placing it gingerly upon her lap. Only Sara could've deciphered an "It's okay," from that jumble of syllables which were emitted from Grissom's mouth. The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence.   
  
Once they got to the closest pizzeria, a random Papa John's, Sara and Grissom seated themselves into a window booth. Sitting opposite from each other, smiling, they waited for someone to come and take their order. Much too soon, someone arrived.  
  
"What would you like, Ma'am?" He followed Sara's loving gaze at the man opposite her, "Oh, and err, sir?" He quickly corrected himself. Sara turned to face him and emitted a chuckle.  
  
"It's okay." Her gaze, once more, sought out Grissom, "What should we get?" Grissom shrugged and turned towards the waiter who, he at once noticed, bared a great resemblance to Greg. The only difference was that the spiky hair was a feisty black instead of the usual blond-ish look. Otherwise, he matched Greg perfectly. They could even catch a glimpse of a Hawaiian shirt beneath the over-sized Papa John's apron. Grissom tried very hard not to stare.   
  
"We'll get two vegetarian pizzas please. Large." He winked at Sara's astonished expression.   
  
"Umm, I think he meant one." Sara corrected the older man.   
  
"NO, no. Two, please. Make it TWO vegetarian pizzas." Grissom stared at the poor waiter with a steely gaze so that the other would've brought ten pizzas against the lady's wishes rather than face the wrath of the gentleman. After the waiter, Matt, as his name tag stated, left, Sara leant over and smacked one of Grissom's arms, which was peacefully lying on the table.  
  
"You scared the heck out of that poor boy. It's probably just his summer job or something. You didn't have to be THAT harsh." But her small giggles kept Grissom from taking the comment seriously.   
  
"Oh come on Sidle, I wasn't THAT scary, was I?" He wriggled his eyebrows invitingly.   
  
"OH, you..." she was about to smack his arm again when he flipped over his arm and caught her hand in his.   
  
"Yes? Don't tell me one will be enough." He cleared his throat, "Pizza, that is."   
  
"Of course it would be enough! I mean, I DO have to watch my figure and...what is SO funny Gil Grissom?" Sara snatched back her arm and stared intently at the man sitting opposite her, who was at the moment laughing his head off.  
  
"Sara," he managed in between uproarious laughter, "Watch your weight? Hahahaha." He wiped at his eyes which were now producing excessive amount of tears. "Come on now! When I lifted you, you were lighter than, than," She cocked an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Y-e-e-e-e-s?"  
  
"Lighter than a feather." His laughter finally died down to a lonely chuckle which produced itself forth now and then. "Sara, when was the last time you've eaten? Now that I think about it," he fell into thought for a second before continuing, "I haven't seen you eat lunch at the lab for..almost two weeks now. And with all of that, oh so yummy food, back at your house. What HAVE you been eating young lady?" Sara stammered,   
  
"Well, I uhh, I" Grissom interrupted her, but it's not like Sara was saying a lot at the moment anyways.  
  
"What happened to those sandwiches with pickles that you so generously shared with me? Hmm?"  
  
"I, well, I, Oh Griss. Don't make me do this."   
  
"And what exactly will you be doing?" 'Did his eye just sparkle? No, of course not. No, it couldn't have.' Sara was quietly debating with herself when Grissom cleared his throat to get her attention back.  
  
"Do, well, um...Oh look! The food's here." The same waiter had come back with a vegetarian pizza situated on a silver plate and two iced teas. "Thank you VERY much young man." Sara's appreciation shone upon her face as she thanked the waiter. He in turn, stole a quick peek at Grissom's darkening face.   
  
"The second one's on its way, sir." He muttered and high tailed it back to the kitchen. Sara sighed.   
  
"Oh well, I guess you win bug man." She paused seductively, "This time."  
  
Grissom took the liberty of placing a few pieces of the blistering hot pizza on Sara's plate.   
  
"You think that's enough?" Sara made a sarcastic remark at Grissom as she looked down upon the three pieces on her plate, that he had put there with the utmost care. The other looked innocently up from putting a piece on his own plate.   
  
"Hmm?" For a moment, Grissom looked like a deer, or any other various animal, caught in headlights. "Oh, oh," he blushed profusely, "Sorry, here you go," He put his own piece on her already loaded plate. Sara tried very, very hard not to burst out laughing.   
  
"Griss, you don't understand," she stifled a small giggle and pressed her hands against her mouth. Sara waited for a second, while the laughter sank back down into the pit of her stomach instead of the borders of her lips. Finally, she took a deep breath and continued, "That's not what I meant." Grissom's face, instead of being a deep magenta it was five seconds ago, turned a rosy hue. "What I meant was...well...what I mean is, I usually only have a piece or two. This," she gestured down at her plate, "will last me a week." Grissom didn't respond, he bowed his head down towards his plate and stared at the intricate design. Grissom being too embarrassed to say anything and Sara having already explained, a nasty silence hung in the air. 


	5. Chapter 5

After a couple of minutes, Grissom ventured to sneak a peek at Sara. Raising up his head a couple of inches, he caught Sara's own prying eyes on himself. Smiling sheepishly he adjusted his seating position.   
  
"Oh Griss," Sara cooed. She stole upwards, scaring Grissom with the horrible thought of leaving, and quickly forced herself onto his bench. Half sitting on him she whispered, "Well, come on, move over." He didn't budge, "Or do you expect me to sit on you all day?" Wrapping an arm around her waist so that she would not fall off the edge, he smiled into her face.   
  
"Well. . ." He began, smirking at Sara.   
  
"Yea right. In your dreams," She finally managed to scoot Grissom a bit sideways so that her petite backside had enough room on the small bench. "Hmmm," She gloated into his face. Finally, assuming a serious face, she grasped her deserted plate and pushed it towards them. "You don't mind do you?" Putting it between themselves, she nudged Grissom's empty plate to the other side. Away from them. She got a piece of pizza from the plate and held it gingerly in her hands. Putting it up to her face, Sara was ready to take a big bite, but instead, she stopped. Looking at Grissom she smiled. "Well, I was under the impression that we came here to eat..." Grissom focused on her more clearly. Sara knew what he was thinking before he even opened his mouth. "Share mine," Holdingout the pizza that she was about to bite, Sara put it in front of his face, tantalizing him. Sara beamed at her own witty self. Slowly, Grissom's lips curled into a small, tiny little smile. Opening his mouth, he took a bite.  
  
"Hmm, it's good." He showered her with a dazzling smile while slowly chewing up the delicious food.   
  
"Really?" She inquired, and after receiving a nod, took a bite herself. "Ooh, it is good." She exclaimed.  
  
"Told ya," Grissom laughed at Sara's amazement. "Considering you probably haven't ate for ages, this must be like a small piece of heaven for you." 'Oh, it does Griss, it DOES.' Sara quietly thought to herself. They both ate the rest of the piece in silence, basking in the simple pleasure that it gave them. Taking turns biting the fastly decreasing piece. After the first slice was finished, Sara dared to ask.  
  
"Do you want to share another one?" She stepped forward from her steel walls, forward into a blizzard that could either coat her with fluff or smash her to pieces. Deathly afraid of rejection she breathlessly waited for his response.   
  
"No, Sara." And her heart began to crack. "You have to eat, and I keep taking your food." Grissom noticed Sara letting out a deep breath, but let it go. Thinking that there would be another time to talk about it.   
  
"No, Grissom, no you don't!" Sara couldn't believe he was denying her. Sharing one piece with him was better than feeling food in her stomach after long, empty weeks of hungriness and emptiness. It filled up both categories so fully and nicely. Having an even better effect on her than a rich, three course meal could have ever had.   
  
"Ok, how about this," Grissom thought out loud. "You eat one more by yourself, and we'll," He pondered for a second until a brilliant idea hit him, "And then, we'll share the rest." He finished enthusiastically. " How about it?" He gently leaned forward, smiling a brilliant smile. How could she resist? 


	6. Chapter 6

    The sweet couple polished off both pizzas in record time, and had talked about a lot of important things too. That is about crossword puzzles, and the Discovery channel, and hamsters, and tattoos, and food. They talked about every possible thing that did not occupy their minds. Fooling each other in an elaborate scheme to appear strong and reliable. Finally, the meal had ended and Sara was ready to go home. "Here, we can split the bill." Sara offered to the arriving waiter after giving the him a dashing smile of apology for the man sitting beside her.

    "No, no. It was my treat, remember?" She shrugged at Grissom's comment.

    "Whatever rocks your boat." And suddenly, Sara's peach colored cheeks turned a flaming red as she realized what she had just said out loud. Grissom's laughter followed instantaneously.

       
    "Come on, it's no big deal." Sara smiled impishly and slid a little further down her seat. Grissom paid the price and adding a large tip, he placed it on the table. "Ok, let's go." Sara was in a big hurry to leave the pizzeria and the embarrassing remark behind. Grissom nodded and waited while Sara slid out of the seat. She then extended her hand to him and he took it, pulling himself up rather quickly and winding up rather closely to the brunette. After leaving the establishment, Grissom opened the car door for Sara and they sat inside for a while.

    "Sara?" Grissom asked, uncertainty in his voice. She faced him, piercing his soul with those deep brown eyes of hers. And all of a sudden, the certainty melted away like ice in carbonated drinks. "Yes Gris?" "Umm," he fingered the wheel nervously, searching for the courage with which to ask Sara a question or two. Her warm hand crept up to his leg, resting there quite naturally. Smiling inside, he commenced with the questioning. "How would you like to come back to my place instead?" He braced himself for a denial, braced his mind and body and soul. And heart. "Sure," she answered enthusiastically, a little too enthusiastically. He showered her with a sparkling smile. "I have some of Catherine's clothes in the backseat, do you think those would fit you?" Terror ran through her eyes, setting them ablaze with an icy fire. She cast her face downward mumbling half to herself.

    "I, I have to go to the..." she sniffed, quickly wiping at her nose, "to the ladie's room." And while Grissom sat, still shocked, Sara bounded out of the car and ran back into the Pizzeria. She quickly found the restrooms and rushed into the woman's. In the car, Grissom's brain slowly began to grind and turn. 'What had happened?' he mentally asked himself. 'Asked to my home...said yes...asked about clothes...Catherine's clothes..." It was as if a thousand bells began ringing in his head. Grissom jumped, successfully banging his head against the roof of his head.

    "Shit!" He exclaimed, more from realization than pain. He yanked the door open and ran after Sara with full speed. Grissom slowed down though, when he realized that he was standing in front of the ladies room. Inside, he heard the muffled cries of a woman. But not just ANY woman, his woman. "Sara?" The cries ceased for a bit before starting up again full force. Grissom winced. He just couldn't bear it, thinking of Sara on the other side of the door, crying her heart out. While his, lay deflated, at the bottom of his chest. Sucking in his breath, Grissom tenderly opened the door. Quickly slipping inside, he shut it behind him and went to the stalls.

    He peeked underneath them one by one, hoping to find a leg or two, as the sobs had magically vanished when he came into the restroom. He came to his third stall, and while in a crouched position, ready to look under the door, the wooden barrier swung open, and a middle aged woman stood there. Glaring at Grissom, she poised her purse on the ready, aiming it at his head. Grissom pushed himself off the floor, backing up.

    "Ma'am, I'm so sorry, I was just...just..looking..." Her eyes shot wide open before squinting down into slits of hatred.

    "Looking eh?!?" She roared and brought down her purse upon Grissom, hitting him on various body parts. After a while, with a final blow the woman stormed out of the lady's room. Staggering, Grissom leant against one of the sinks, surveying himself in the mirror. He groaned out loud at the site before him. There were red marks all over his face, doubtless where the bruises would make their appearance tomorrow. 'What do women always carry in their purses that make them weight a ton?' he wondered, while breathing in and out deeply. When his breathing returned to normal Grissom slowly turned around to face the stalls. Slowly and grudgingly, he approached them. He heard slight raspy sounds from a door, and decided that this was certainly the one. He crept up to it, slowly, as if it were an animal that could pounce on him. Putting his face rather close to the door, he started talking to whom he prayed was Sara.

To be Continued...VERY soon


	7. Chapter 7

    "Sara?" He waited for moment, ready to jump backwards and sprint out of the restroom. After a blissfully quiet moment, he continued. "Sara, come on. Let's go talk," he gulped, "somewhere else." Quiet. "I mean I almost got killed here by that, oh-so-nice lady." More quietness. It wasn't working. He mentally kicked himself for being so stupid. How could he even mention Catherine, much less her clothing! "Please?" Grissom begged, but to no avail. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the neighboring stall. With difficulty, he planted both legs upon the seat and placing an unsteady hand on the wall, he brought his body upwards. When he was situated in a position where he was pretty sure that his legs would not fail, Grissom peeked over the top.

    He saw a sight that would bother his heart for many a days afterwards. Sara was sitting on the edge of the seat, face buried deeply in her hands, shoulders heaving up and down. Grissom weighed his possibilities, and picked the one he thought most effective. At least, at the moment it had seemed like a fine idea. He bent his knees and brought his head back up over the rim of the wall by pulling with his hands. He repeated this process numerous times before his feet were practically leaving the seat below and willing him to jump. Grissom, when he thought he had enough momentum to bring him over the edge, finally picked his legs up and carried his body over the barrier. He jumped right in front of Sara, missing her by a mere couple of inches. Startled, she jumped up, beating her hands against Grissom's chest.

    "What..." thump, "the..." thump, "hell..." thump, "are..." thump, "you..." thump, "doing?!?" THUMP. Sara finally quieted down, and looked into Grissom's face, trying to keep an angry face on. But that was quite difficult to do when the tears just wouldn't stop coming. When Grissom remained quiet, trying to think of something soothing to say, Sara's head bent low and her shoulders resumed their quivering.

    "Sara, Sara, don't cry. Please, don't cry." In a split second his large arms were around her, trying to crush the sadness out of her body. "Sara." He whispered so tenderly in her ear, "I'm sorry," he edged a bit closer, "I wasn't thinking." The sobs began to decrease in size and amount. "Can you ever forgive me?" His cheek was pressed against hers, sending burning chills down her body while he continued his whisperings. They were both standing upright in the small cubicle, his arms around Sara, while hers lay limply by her sides. As he inched away from her, a loud sob was emitted through the tense air, and placing his warm, protective hands over her arms he pressed his forehead onto hers. "Sara, please," he tugged her a little close to him, their bodies now touching, "please, "he took one more, tiny, step forward. "Forgive me."

    Sara's eyes finally flickered upwards, meeting his own loving gaze. Her fingers played incessantly with the hem of her jeans, while her arms were still in Grissom's warm hold. _How _she prayed that he would never let go. Ever leave her alone, in this world that was crashing about her. Oh how she prayed.

    "You," she feverishly glanced down to his lips, "you, mentioned. Cath..." a small sniffle issued from her nose, causing Grissom to crack a small smile, which thankfully Sara didn't notice. She blinked, and finally locked into Grissom's eyes. "Catherine's clothes? In your backseat?" Another sniffle rippled through the air and Grissom noticed how vulnerable Sara looked. Her eyes pleading with him, not to tell the inevitable. Not to tell her about the compromising situation. Her face was stained with blotches from the tears, yet her make-up remained intact. "Griss?" She whispered longingly.

To Be Continued fairly soon


	8. Chapter 8

"Sara, it was nothing like that, nothing at all." He piercingly stared at her wet eyes. "There was a rough night once, Eddie was acting up and," Grissom seemed saddened by the memory of Catherine's tragic past, and he paused for a minute. "Sara," he continued with difficulty as her lean frame was pushed up against his own, "it was nothing like that, I swear. Don't you trust me?" Sara seemed to inch closer to him, if being any close was possible at all.

"Of course I do," she whispered, "I trusted you with my heart." Grissom's ears perked up. 'What did she say? Was that, trusted or trust?'

"Sara?" He questioned.

"Trust, I said trust!" She corrected herself, flustering, but inevitably Sara knew that no one was being fooled.

"Sara, I didn't even ask you anything." Sara looked to be on the verge of tears again before she caught Grissom's smile. Finally, the air between them fell somber again. "Will you not trust me with your heart again?" His hands slipped down along her torso and nestled a little above her hips and locked themselves in place behind her back.

"Gris." she began hesitantly, and tried to disregard the fact that his hands had become rigid at her pause. "Grissom," she began anew, "I don't know if I ever could, you broke it once." She brought her voice down to a whisper once again. "Griss?" She almost whimpered. Grissom took a shaky breath as their eyes locked. He could see her eyes pooling with fresh tears.

"Yes..." A mere second of a pause, "baby?" Sara's body began changing under his grasp. It was cooling down, heating up, and finally she began to subtly shake.

"Griss," she painfully blinked her eyes and Grissom saw a tear drop traverse its way across her cheek. "Grissom it hurt." Her body's shaking was becoming stronger and stronger until finally, Grissom thought them to be convulsions. "It hurt so bad Grissom," she let her head droop on his chest. "It hurt, so badly. I barely survived, I couldn't, I can't, live without you." The shaking increased ever more and finally Sara broke down. "Don't you have anything to say Grissom anything at all? You hurt me. You _hurt _me." Making all of that out through her sobs, Sara took a step backward unclasping Grissom's hands. Covering her face with her hands she turned her back to Grissom. There was nowhere that she could go, defeat was inevitable, so Sara just stood in front of Grissom, crying uncontrollably.

Uncomfortable, heart-breaking silences were popular with Grissom today. When he finally jumped out of yet another trance, he immediately stepped up to Sara, just a centimeter from her back.

"Sara, Sara please don't do this. Please, _please _don't. I never meant it. I never meant to hurt you." Sara might as well have not heard a word Grissom had said as she showed no sign of it. "Damn it Sara! Why won't you believe me?" Sara wheeled around, a scowl on her face was partially covered by the streaming tears.

"How can you even say that Grissom? You, you,"

"Please don't hate me," Grissom whispered as he wrapped his arms around Sara's body once more and tugged her near him. Bodies pressing up against each other, Grissom could see the bewildered, confused look on Sara's face. But, he couldn't stop, not now. Leaning against the side of the stall, Grissom leaned in for the kiss.

An update will persue tomorrow or maybe the day after. Please review, they are greatly appreciated. :)


	9. Chapter 9

Grissom left Sara with a warm tingling sensation in her body, and a peaceful mind set. He couldn't not love her, not with a kiss like that. As they pulled apart, Grissom smiled sheepishly before a look of seriousness settled upon his face.

"I'm sorry, Sara. I shouldn't have done that." His hands dropped limply at his sides as he searched her face for a reaction. Tears were still streaming down her face, part from relief, agony, surprise, pain; it was a melting pot of emotions. Sara was not ready to give up on their relationship, if you could call it a relationship at all. She wrapped her arms around Grissom's torso and brought him dangerously close to her body. Their second kiss was even better than the first one, and had they not had the necessity for oxygen, it would've lasted forever.

"Grissom, are you still sorry?" They pulled apart a little, looking into each other's eyes.

"No, Sara, no, I'm not." He embraced her in a warm hug that she returned completely.

"I've missed you Grissom. I've missed you so much." She pulled away once more to search his eyes. "So much." She added in a whisper.

"I know, trust me, _I know_." He whispered back. They stood still for a mesmerizing moment, reflecting back over the past couple of seconds. "Sara, what would you like to do now?" He brought his hands up to gently rub her shoulders.

"I," she began unsteadily, "I want to know Grissom. I want to feel, and be supported. I want..." she deeply sighed.

"Yes?" Grissom gently prodded her.

"You." Sara scarcely breathed.

"Me?" Grissom almost laughed at the thought until he realized that might cost him the woman that was standing right there under his nose. "Ok, Sara," he rested his forehead against hers. "I'm yours."

"Grissom!" Sara seemed enraged. 'What have I done now?' "I wasn't playing around. I don't know if you've noticed but, I just can't go on without you." She pushed him a little with her head, "I do, I need you."

"Sara, I wasn't saying," Grissom was about to reply when the door to the bathrooms opened.

"Hello? Is anybody in there?" The voice seemed rather childish and rather perturbed. Sara almost giggled as she realized that it was Matt, the waiter, who was calling out. She looked at Grissom with twinkling eyes and whispered,

"Let's go."

"Now?!"

"Yes, now, or were you expecting to spend the whole evening here.?"

"But Sara, he'll see..." Sara had unlocked the stall door behind Grissom's back, and when the he leaned against it they burst out of the cubicle like a couple of love-struck teenagers.

"Hey-ya there Matt. Nice seeing you again." The young teen stared at the sight before him, jaw wide open.

"Well," Grissom attempted chuckling, "I guess we'll just be leaving then." As soon as Grissom finished talking, Sara grabbed his hand and they both raced out of the bathrooms not caring that such actions were so below their age group. Safe and alone in the parking lot, they collapsed in each other's arms, laughing. One was holding the other up; not letting each other tumble to the ground in fits of laughter.

After a while, they quieted and just stood there, staring at each other. Searching Sara's eyes, Grissom noticed that the woman in front of him was slightly shivering.

"Sara?"

"Ye..rrrrr....s, Grrrrrriss..rrrrr.om.?"

"My god, you must be freezing!" Grissom's jacket immediately left his broad shoulders and he settled it about her own shoulders. "That should help."

"Hm hmm." She softly sighed, wrapping herself tighter and tighter in his jacket. It was almost as good as his embrace. The smell of Grissom intoxicated her, clearing out her mind and leaving her with a keen sense of wanting.

"Sara," Grissom gingerly began, "what would you like to do now?" The question left his lips twice in one evening, surely his drink was spiked by Matt back during dinner. Yet, he was so terrified that the ice he was treading upon would break beneath his big, clumsy feet and send him hurling into a bath of frigid cold reality.

"Well, I'd like to," she almost blurted it out. 'Idiot! Idiot!' Sara shook her head to lift the fog that had settled upon her mind and faced Grissom with a clear head. "What would _you _like to do?'

"Well, I, I," Grissom appeared to be a bit flustered, but after taking a deep breath he took the bull by the horns. "Sara, I want you to come home with me. I have some extra...clothes for you and other small necessities." He let out a deep breath. "What do you say?" Sara's face went through a few countenances before she uttered a reply.

"I say, ok."

"Ok?" He asked in disbelief.

"Ok," she whispered, softly nodding her head.

"Sara, you know that I," Sara's eyes desperately searched his.

"Mh...hhm?" She urged him on.

"You know that...that," Sara could see the fleeting look in Grissom's eyes. The defeat, the embarrassment, the fluster. "I'd like to get going now."

"Ok." She simply stated, with much less enthusiasm than her last ok.

Grissom's mind went numb as they boarded the car. With the keys situated in the ignition, Grissom just sat, staring straight ahead.

"Grissom?" Grissom started, and Sara's heart gave a little jump.

"Yes?" Grissom seemed to pleading with Sara. 'Let me go. I tried, and I failed. I just cannot. I cannot.'

"It will come later. Whenever the time is right, it will come. Trust me." She unclenched one hand from the steering wheel and caressed it with her thumb. "Won't you trust me?"

"Of course Sara." Finally, her presence, there with him, in the car, ready to be transported back to his place, seemed right. Not awkward at all, but a familiar, homely, right feeling. That was where Sara belonged. By Grissom's side, always by his side.


	10. Chapter 10

The ride to Grissom's townhouse was quite uneventful compared to the pizza shop one. The two gently held hands and each let the silence reign. Grissom was afraid of saying something ridiculously stupid, and Sara was afraid to scare the man sitting beside her. As he parked the car, Grissom's mind began racing. 'What if this is a mistake? What if she runs of with some young guy and leave me all alone? I'll be crushed, I'll, I'll die. I won't be able to survive that.' His hand came up to whack a steady blow to his temple. 'You idiot! Sara would never do that to you. Ever!'

Sara's own hand came to grip Grissom's.

"Griss! Griss, are you ok?" When he looked at the resistance, a bewildered look crossed his face. As if he had forgotten that Sara was sitting right by him. And then, then, he started to laugh. A deep, rich laugh that Sara had never heard before. 'I must look mental to her. What _does _she see in me?'

"Yea, Sar. I'm fine, absolutely..." he searched for the right word to describe his immense happiness of her presence, "..perfect."

"Good." She exclaimed, "I'm freezing, can we go in? Or is this how you treat all of your company?" Grissom chuckled, Sara was absolutely right. It was a pretty cold night and even his jacket didn't protect her from the harsh conditions. This cold though, worked wonders on Grissom, relieving him from a boatload of humiliation.

He slipped out of the car and pocketed the keys. Rushing around the hood, he opened Sara's door and scooped her from the seat. 'Good thing my seatbelt was unbuckled or else we would've probably tumbled to the ground after smashing heads together. Ooh, not a bad idea..' Grissom enjoyed seeing Sara's face as she worked through something in her head.

"You ready?" He dead panned.

"Uh, yeah, sorry." She smiled her hypnotizing smile and helped her carrier close the door.

"Ok, then, let's go."

"Hmm, I like this sort of treatment," Sara cooed into Grissom's ear as he carried her to the front door.

"Oh yeah? Well, keep in mind, I don't treat _all _of my company like this."

"Good. The picture of Warrick in your arms is just a bit much for me." She giggled. This was a big step for Grissom though, and Sara worked hard not to overlook it, yet not seem like a clingy remora on a shark at the same time. "I appreciate it, Griss. Really, I do." She caressed his cheek and placed a warm kiss were her fingers were a second ago.

When Grissom stood before his locked door, his cheeks flushed a little. Sara was puzzled for a minute, but then, her CSI brain kicked in.

"No problem Grissom." She reached into his right pocket and brought out the mess of keys. "What am I here for, right?" He pointed to the right one and squatted down so that she could fit it into the lock. Grissom's look of admiration didn't escape her glowing eyes, and she took as long as possible to open the wooden barrier.

"Hmmm, thanks." He smiled down on her and just could not help himself. She looked like an angel in his arms: her eyes shining like a pair of diamonds, her lips in a curvy smile, and her hair spread about his arm. His head slipped down to hers and they shared a passionate kiss. Sara's hands wove themselves around his neck, bringing their heads closer together, intensifying the kiss. Grissom took a staggering step towards the couch, but as a second kiss ensued, his knees buckled and the pair went tumbling towards the ground. His body covered hers, but neither seemed to notice the change of location. Finally, they broke apart and Sara's hands went up to meet with Grissom's face, stroking his prickly beard.

"You dropped me." She stated.

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that." Grissom replied, not knowing if Sara was mad or if she was just fooling.

"Oh yeah? _How _sorry, exactly?" Her eyes began to twinkle, and Grissom played along.

"Oh, just enough, I suppose."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Sara raised up a little to place a chaste kiss upon his lips.

"So, what do you have to do around here?" The subject change was a relieving thing to Grissom. He wanted Sara to lead, and was more than happy to follow.

"Well, I have a tv, and...." he thought, slowly pouring his gaze over the surroundings, "a new crossword puzzle." He added with enthusiasm.

"Tv sounds GREAT." Sara really didn't want all of his attention diverted away from her and onto a piece of paper, not when she was enjoying it this much.

"Tv it is! Get ready for one awesome evening Sara Sidle." Even though Grissom was a bit disappointed, he replied with so much enthusiasm that Sara's mood was instantaneously lifted to a whole new level.

After picking themselves up of the floor, and going over to the couch, Grissom graciously gave over the remote to Sara who started clicking through the channels immediately.

"Hey, would you like something to drink?" Sara nodded her head, but kept her eyes fixed on the screen, intent on finding just the right movie for them to watch. While Grissom was in the kitchen, rumbling through the cabinets, Sara scanned the titles of various movies. 'Mona Lisa Smile, nah, that's too much of a woman movie. The Whole 9 Yards, How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, Anaconda, Legally Blonde? What should I choose?'Sara finally settled upon The Matrix Reloaded. She had seen a part of it before, and had a strong urge to watch it. Plus, it had a lot of interesting stuff that she thought Grissom would enjoy.

"Hey Griss!" She called out, "I found a movie for us to watch." Grissom couldn't help but crack a smile when he heard the announcement; Sara just sounded so happy. As if she had just accomplished a very difficult task. Oh, how he loved that woman. Sara half-watched the commercials that STARZ was showing before the actual movie, while waiting for Grissom's return. He finally appeared carrying a tray with two glasses of champagne and some salt crackers, and chocolates.

"Here you go," he set the tray down on a table which was situated in front of the couch, and quickly explained himself. "Now, I know that we just ate but this chocolate goes so well with the champagne, and I remember that you liked it. But, if you're not in the mood for something sweet," he motioned at the crackers.

"You remembered??" Sara's mind went back to the day when while visiting Catherine's house for a birthday party, she had exclaimed how wonderful the chocolates that Catherine had put out tasted. "That's incredibly sweet Grissom, all of it. Now, you wanna see what movie I picked?" She clicked a button on the remote and a small sign popped up on the tv:

**Information: The Matrix Reloaded 2 hr. 18min. R **

"Oh, the Matrix. That's really something, I was just watching the first one yesterday and really loved it."

"Yeah?" Sara questioned.

"Hm hmm, now if you'd kindly get out of my head." he chuckled. Was it pure coincidence that she picked the movie that he himself was going to watch tonight? Sara took a small sip of her champagne and sat back against the coushy-ness of the couch. The movie was starting and Grissom too sat back. Sara welcomed his presence, and without thinking she leaned against him; her head ending up on his chest. She looked up right into Grissom's face with a questioning glance but her worries were assured as she saw his gentle smile.

"Hmm, this is perfect." Sara whispered.

"Well..." Sara's body tensed against Grissom's but he just chuckled at her reaction. His arms wound themselves around her tense middle and he scooted her closer to himself. "Now, it's perfect." He commented, and settled down for the movie only after placing a warm kiss on the top of Sara's head.


	11. 11

I apologize for the long wait. Hopefully, ya'll are still interested. :)

Grissom and Sara spent a very nice hour watching the incredible movie. Grissom rather enjoyed the small 'oohs' and gasps from Sara at various parts. He suppressed his chuckles though, for fear of getting smartly smacked. Now, Grissom had to make a trip to the bathroom. The empty champagne glass told that story. He shifted a little and Sara immediately jumped out of his embrace.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you Sara. I just... need to go," he got up uncomfortably, "I'll be right back." he smiled and Sara shook her head in disbelief. Grissom: to figure him out is complete and absolute suicide. She settled back to watching the big screen and marveled at Morpheus's speech which he addressed from a raised rock platform to the whole Zyon population. She heard the toilet being flushed and water begin to flow, she smiled inwardly and concentrated on the next scene.

Grissom hurried over when he heard a slight gasp come from Sara's lips.

"Sara?" He called out half way to the living room. 'Oh shit!' She thought, prying her gaze away from the screen where Neo and Trinity were having fun in bed. 'Where's Tivo when you need it.' she whined inwardly. Sara would have gladly fast forwarded a minute or two if that meant there would be no running away done by Grissom that night. When the man appeared from behind the wall he had a very peculiar look on his face.

"Sara are you ok?" She tried to make her blushing subside by thinking of everything and anythingthat was not on her mind.

"Heh," Sara chuckled nervously, "I'm perfect." She quoted. "You almost missed the best part. Heh." Sara couldn't stop herself when she saw Grissom's wild-eyed expression after he had seen what she had been referring to.

"Yea, wouldn't have wanted to miss that." He winked at Sara before settling down back upon the couch. 'Well, good,' Sara thought as she nestled against his arms once more, 'if he didn't freak out neither should I.' Grissom felt Sara take a deep breath, 'Neither should I.'

An hour and 18 minutes later, Grissom lazily blinked against the credits and softly tapped Sara on the shoulder.

"It's over, did you like it? I loved it." The woman barely shifted.

"Yea, hmm hm, I liked it." her head dug deeper into Grissom's chest.

"I think it's time for someone to go to sleep."

"Oh yea?"

"Yeah. Come on, my guest room is all set up for you."

"You had time to set it up?" She asked sleepily.

"Oh yeah, I had a feeling."

"Ooh, a feeling." She yawned, keeping her eyes closed. "Care to share? Did you think you were gonna get lucky?"Grissom couldn't help but shake his head adoringly. 'I never thought I'd get _this_ lucky.'

"Maybe tomorrow morning." Grissom chuckled. Surely, tomorrow, Sara would not even remember this conversation. She was already half-sleeping.

"Ok, I'll get up in a second." She sighed contentedly. "One second." Grissom chuckled, and knew that if he didn't do anything that second would turn into the whole night. He waited for a couple of minutes, savoring every single scrumptious moment, before shifting once more.

"Okay, princess, let's go."

"Hmm, but I'll get up in a second. Promise."

"Ok," Grissom said, carefully getting up and bringing Sara with him in his muscular arms.

"Hmm, you feel so good." She sighed. 'Completely incoherent.' Grissom concluded. "Just like a bed, hm, so good. Wonderful. I lo..."

"Ok, come on now." Grissom opened the room and turned sideways to avoid knocking Sara's head into the wall. He settled her semi-awake form on the bed after he hadskillfullypulled back the covers. Grissom only dragged off her shoes to make it more comfortable and left the rest of her clothes intact. "Goodnight Sara." He whispered, and covered the rest of her body with the cover.

"Night baby," she mumbled in reply.

Grissom went to bed that night a very happy man, but little did he know that his good night's sleep would be short lived. Very short lived. About three hours after he had fallen asleep Grissom woke up with a start. 'Wonder what it was. Maybe my dream...' Grissom couldn't figure out what in the world made him wake up so suddenly. It was only after a good five minutes that he realized that it was Sara who had caused the commotion. He slowly got out of his bed and tip-toed to her room. Cracking it open an inch or two he peeked in. There was Sara, thrashing on the bed like a fish out of water.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

"Sara!" He called out, "Sara, wake up." Rushing over to the bed he placed two gentle hands upon her shoulders, "Wake up, you're safe. It's nothing but a dream Sara," He gently shook her jittery form. Suddenly, Sara's eyes shot open and Grissom gazed into two pools of disbelief, surprise, and no acknowledgement whatsoever.

"Get away from me!" She shrieked as she struggled free of his grasp. Frantically backing up, Sara landed with a thud on the floor. Nervously peeking over the side, Grissom's heart broke at what he saw; Sara was sitting with her back against the bed, covering her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, "I didn't mean it, I promise." Her shoulders were still slightly shaking as Grissom lowered himself onto the floor and gathered Sara up in his arms. She turned to face him, eyes full of misery. "I didn't mean it," She repeated, "Please don't leave me." Grissom pushed her head on his shoulder and let her cry, while slowly rubbing her back.

"Sara, it's all right. You don't have to worry, I will never leave. Nightmares or no nightmares I will still be here, holding you, caring for you, loving you." Her head jerked up at his statement. Grissom shrugged, "I can't help it Sara, I can't deny my heart." Her eyes pooled up once more as she gave me a soft kiss.

"I really didn't mean it," she said once more, "it was just a nightmare. I thought you were…you were,"

"It's ok, you don't have to explain." He replied soothingly, "I understand." A couple of minutes ticked by as Grissom continued to hold the shaken Sara.

"Griss?" She ventured, "Would you sleep with me?" her hopefully eyes darted down onto his chest, "I mean, you don't have to do anything that you don't want to do or anything, but maybe, you know, if you feel like it, or" He stopped her ramblings with a finger on her lips.

"I would love to, Sara." His eyes showered her uncertainty with genuineness. "And there is nothing in the world that I would not want to do with you. In any sense." His eyes twinkled as Sara's lips captured his in a passionate kiss. The couple barely made it up onto the bed before beginning a new chapter of their lives.

End.


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